3-Star Hotels in California, United States

My wife and I visited Catalina Island for our 28th anniversary — our first time back since before we were married in 1997. We chose the Catalina Canyon Inn specifically for the pool, jacuzzi, on-site restaurant, and shuttle service. Their website is very nice and seemed like a perfect match for the occasion. Unfortunately, very little matched what was advertised. Shuttle: The shuttle was not waiting at the Catalina Express port when we arrived on the last ferry Saturday evening which was unexpected. Four of us were left waiting in the dark for about 20 minutes until the other couple called the hotel. The driver was friendly and apologized, but this set the tone for the weekend. The shuttle was consistently unreliable throughout our stay. They tell you to call the driver directly, but he often didn't answer. You'd end up having to call the hotel instead, and the shuttle only seemed to come after someone went inside and told the front desk in person. At one point we waited 45 minutes. Some guests got frustrated and just decided to walk, but the hotel sits at the top of a steep hill — not a realistic option, especially for older guests like us. Their website suggests the shuttle runs regularly, but that was far from our experience. Restaurant: We arrived at the restaurant at 7:30 PM Saturday and were turned away, even though their website says they're open until 8:00 PM. We had to rush down the hill to find dinner to-go in town before the shuttle stopped running at 8:45. It was a shame we didn't even have time to stay and eat on our anniversary or face having to trek up that hill. The next morning I mentioned this to the restaurant owner, who insisted they closed at 8:00 and that she was there. She then told us the restaurant closes at 2:00 PM on Sundays — so dinner there that night wasn't an option either. She was very friendly though I must say. On Monday we finally had breakfast before checkout. The food was mediocre and didn't match the glowing reviews at all. The prices were also odd — $12 for mozzarella sticks, $20 for nachos, but only $11 for pulled pork sliders, which you'd expect to be the pricier item. The pricing just didn't add up. While we were there, another couple was turned away at 1:30 PM because the restaurant closes from 2–4 on Mondays. We could feel their frustration. Jacuzzi: The jacuzzi we were looking forward to was covered up and converted into a gazebo with chairs. At first we couldn't find it but yea. No mention of this on the website. Room issues: The soap dispenser in the shower was empty. The front desk told us we can mention it to housekeeping, who didn't come until after 5:00 PM. We got the soap and a couple fresh towels. The towels themselves were thin and didn't dry well overnight so fresh ones were sorely needed to get at least one shower in with soap before we had to leave the next day. The TV didn't work at all, and the microwave was unplugged — though I was able to fix that myself. The hotel also doesn't offer complimentary coffee, which is standard at most hotels we've stayed at for half the price. The good: The staff was friendly, the bed was comfortable, the A/C worked well, and the balcony was a nice touch. The room was quiet. Bottom line: The website gives a very different impression than what you actually get. Between the unreliable shuttle, limited and unpredictable restaurant hours, missing amenities, thin towels, and no coffee, this was not the anniversary experience we hoped for. I'd recommend staying somewhere closer to downtown so you're not dependent on a shuttle and stuck with limited options. I think we need to redo our anniversary. It was a miss for sure.

1. No slippers, toothbrush, or toothpaste were provided. 2. I really enjoyed making my own waffles at the breakfast buffet. I didn't do so well the first day, but by the second day, they were perfect! While the variety wasn't extensive, it was enough to fill you up. However, there were no vegetables, which was a bit hard for my Chinese palate to get used to. Of course, the buffet can't compare to what you'd find in China. 3. The hotel offers a shuttle service to and from the airport, but I didn't see the pickup shuttle. I ended up taking the Hilton Garden Inn shuttle and then walked about 5 minutes to the hotel. For departures, you can wait right outside the hotel, and the shuttle arrives in about 20 minutes. 4. The cleanliness was good, the room was quiet, and the large bed was comfortable. Other: There were quite a few homeless people nearby; I encountered four of them who kept saying ”hello, hello.” It spooked me so much that I ended up running. While they are unfortunate, it was still a bit scary. I wouldn't recommend going out after dark. There's a convenience store about a 5-minute walk away.

Pretty good, and the location is great! It's really easy to find places to eat nearby, especially the Japanese restaurant right across the street. The room itself was spacious, just a bit old, but no other complaints.

The hotel is a 10-minute drive from the airport, approximately 5 kilometers away. North-facing rooms offer direct views of planes taking off and landing across Highway 101, but the excellent soundproofing ensures no noise disturbance. The hotel is situated within a recently developed complex and features a large parking lot at the back. Both the rooms and facilities are brand new, which is quite unusual for a US hotel. The rooms are spacious and equipped with basic kitchenware and a stovetop, making them ideal for families with children who want to prepare simple meals. As the surrounding area is newly developed, there are currently only two fast-food restaurants across the street (one of which is Panda Express, a well-known Chinese fast-food chain in the US). The other units are still for lease, so it will probably take over a year for more amenities to become available. However, in the community directly opposite, there are three to four restaurants, including the famous West Coast burger joint, In-N-Out. The hotel is conveniently located right next to a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station, offering quick and easy access to Silicon Valley and San Francisco. The hotel offers breakfast, which is quite good for a US hotel, featuring options like hard-boiled eggs🥚, scrambled eggs, bread, oatmeal, waffles, yogurt, coffee, and more.

We encountered several issues during our stay that significantly impacted our experience. On the first day, we had a minor disagreement with the housekeeping staff after requesting a second towel for our two-guest room, which had only been provided with one face towel. The cleaning staff member on the 4th floor argued with one of the guests rather than accommodating the simple request. The following day, we placed all used towels outside the door for collection, but no fresh towels were returned. When we inquired with another housekeeper, she explained that towels were likely still being laundered and might be available around 1 PM. We went fishing for the day and returned in the evening expecting to shower and clean up, but still had no towels. I reported the issue to the front desk, and ultimately we chose to leave approximately 20 hours early simply so we could go home and bathe. Despite this, we were charged the full rate for a room that had no air conditioning, no phone to contact the front desk, and where only 1 out of 5 ice machines was operational.

Close to the airport and a main road, the smoking area in the backyard offers views of the sunset and planes landing. There's a 24-hour McDonald's and a convenience store with a gas station right outside. The rooms are clean and, although the facilities are a bit old, they are relatively comfortable.

This stay exceeded my expectations! The hotel's location is fantastic, making it super convenient for getting around, dining, and shopping. The front desk staff were warm and courteous, and check-in/check-out was quick, with no long waits. The room was spotless, and the bedding was soft and comfortable – I slept soundly until morning. The bathroom had a great dry/wet separation, and the hot water was plentiful with stable pressure. All the facilities were excellent; the AC and WiFi worked perfectly, and the soundproofing was good – I barely heard any noise from the hallway or outside the window. The breakfast had a wide variety of delicious options and offered great value for money. Overall, the service was thoughtful and attentive. I'll definitely choose this hotel again for my next trip. Highly recommended! **[Concise Review for Quick Sharing]** Clean room, excellent service, convenient location, full amenities, great soundproofing for a peaceful sleep, amazing value. Fantastic stay, highly recommend!

Great location, amazing price, horrendous service. Receptionist (male Indian from Gujarat) is extremely rude and disrespectful. He should be fired. I was here for a few days, and then all of a sudden he said he wouldn’t let me extend my stay. Gave no explanation whatsoever, and then began raising his voice and threatening to call the cops. The hostel itself was decent, but this irascible Indian receptionist made me regret ever booking a room there. He should be fired and never be given a job that requires relating with people.

This hotel feels very good, the layout and facilities of the hotel are very atmospheric, the service attitude is very good, the surrounding environment is also good, supermarkets, restaurants, and transportation are very convenient.